Eunkyu Lee
Syracuse University, Martin J. Whitman School of Management
“I am thrilled to nominate Professor Lee for the Best Undergraduate B-School Professor of 2024, as his teaching career exemplifies unwavering dedication and exceptional talent. Known for his enthusiastic and personable approach, he captivates students with his animated communication style, fostering a classroom environment that encourages critical thinking and active participation. He is a strong advocate for experiential learning, exemplified by his acclaimed brand management course, where students manage multi-million dollar brands in a simulated environment. Over 30 years of his excellent career in education is evidenced by multiple accolades, outstanding teaching evaluations, and words of appreciation by his former and current students. Professor Lee truly deserves this recognition for his extraordinary impact on undergraduate education.” – S.P. Raj, chair of the marketing department at the Whitman School of Management
Eunkyu Lee, 61, is Associate Dean for Global Initiatives and Professor of Marketing at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, Syracuse University. Previously, he has served as the Whitman School’s Director of Ph.D. Program and Chair of the Marketing Department.
At Syracuse, Lee received the Graduate Faculty of the Year Award and well as the Dean’s Recognition of Teaching Excellence multiple times. He was also nominated for the University’s Meredith Teaching Recognition Award.
He also received recognition for his outstanding research by Martin J. Whitman Research Fellowship and Whitman Dean’s Research Fellowship.
Before joining the Syracuse faculty in 2000, he taught at Seattle University and at the University of British Columbia, where he also distinguished himself as an award-winning teacher and researcher.
Lee is a leading scholar on marketing channel management and brand strategy. His research has appeared in top academic journals such as Journal of Marketing Research, Marketing Science, Management Science, and Journal of Retailing, and he contributes comments on current marketing and business issues to various public media. Throughout his academic career, he has given numerous lectures for executives in Asia, Europe, and North and South Americas.
BACKGROUND
At current institution since what year? 2000
Education:
- Ph.D. Business Administration, Duke University
- MBA, Fuqua School of Business, Duke University
- BBA, Seoul National University
List of Undergraduate courses you teach: Brand Management, Business in East Asia
TELL US ABOUT LIFE AS A BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSOR
I knew I wanted to be a business school professor when …
I fell in love with marketing while pursuing my MBA. By taking various marketing courses and assisting faculty research, I found the field of marketing to be incredibly dynamic and diverse, in which one can enjoy utilizing the whole range of critical, analytical, strategic, and creative thinking abilities, founded on deep understanding of human behavior and market forces. It led me to pursue a Ph.D. in marketing and become a business school professor.
What are you currently researching and what is the most significant discovery you’ve made from it?
A major part of my research involves developing and analyzing mathematical models to analyze various strategic issues in distribution channels and market competition. This research approach has helped me investigate some of the emerging topics in marketing over the last 30 years such as online-offline multichannel distribution and private label management. My current research projects include studies of the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in advertising and customer shopping assistance. In one study, we find that AI-generated ad campaigns tend to produce superior brand sales performance, especially when the ad discloses that the ad graphics were created by AI. It also shows that disclosing the usage of AI for ad creation enhances consumers’ perception of ad relevance and brand trustworthiness.
If I weren’t a business school professor, I’d be …
In foreign service as a diplomat, perhaps. It appears to be a diverse and dynamic field, like marketing, where I can enjoy tackling new challenges by utilizing creativity, critical and analytical thinking, and relational abilities to build “bridges” to promote common good.
What do you think makes you stand out as a professor?
Enthusiasm. Marketing is so dynamic and full of fascinating stories, that I never get bored of researching and teaching it. It seems it is easy for my students to see my enthusiasm about it in the classroom.
I also think I am good at explaining complex concepts and principles in ways that help students digest them easily and understand their practical relevance. I do this by pointing out critical common threads across diverse real-world cases and examples. I also challenge myself to explain the same concept in multiple different ways (e.g., in words, in graphs and charts, in mathematical equations, etc.) to help students understand it clearly according to their diverse learning styles.
One word that describes my first time teaching:
Rewarding. The first time I taught was toward the end of my Ph.D. program, and the enjoyment gave me firm validation that I had chosen the right career path.
Here’s what I wish someone would’ve told me about being a business school professor:
The need for diligently keeping up with the fast pace of change, not only in the business world but also in student characteristics and expectations. It makes the profession more interesting but requires hard work to stay up-to-date not only in knowledge but also in teaching approach.
Professor I most admire and why: My Ph.D. advisor, Prof. Rick Staelin. He is widely recognized for his exceptional scholarly accomplishments, but to me, he also helped me understand the greater importance of teaching how to think above transferring information as a business professor.
TEACHING BUSINESS SCHOOL STUDENTS
What do you enjoy most about teaching business students?
Helping students believe in their potential impact on the society through their future career in business. It is very gratifying to hear back from former students, often years after they graduate, and learn how they still remember and value their interactions with me.
What is most challenging?
Compared to other university students, business students are generally more ambitious, career-driven, and competitive. Such characteristics often provide stronger motivation for hard work and excellence but can also be a source of anxiety and stress when things don’t go well. It takes wisdom and good discipline to keep the right balance between challenging students towards excellence and providing them a safe and encouraging environment to grow wholistically.
In one word, describe your favorite type of student: Teachable. Not only intellectually curious but also willing and able to examine and enhance their thought process and perspectives.
In one word, describe your least favorite type of student: Entitlement. Expecting others to serve one’s preferences without investing her/his own share to have real education take place.
When it comes to grading, I think students would describe me as …
Candid
LIFE OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
What are your hobbies?
I enjoy playing lunch-time basketball on campus (we call it NBA: Noon Basketball Association) and weekend golf with my 90-year-old dad. I also enjoy traveling and sharing bible stories with elementary school kids at church.
How will you spend your summer?
Working on research projects and my school’s global initiatives, which will involve some international trips.
Enjoying the pleasant summer weather of Upstate New York and celebrating the first birthday of my granddaughter, Victoria.
Favorite place(s) to vacation:
The next place I will visit for the first time.
Favorite book(s):
The Prodigal God by Tim Keller
What is currently your favorite movie and/or show and what is it about the film or program that you enjoy so much?
The last Hollywood movie I watched in a movie theater was Barbie. It was fun and well-made. As a marketing professor teaching brand management, I also enjoyed thinking about the evolution of this iconic brand, its core customers, and the journey of Barbie the move character.
What is your favorite type of music or artist(s) and why?
For classical music, I enjoy listening to Chopin and Tchaikovsky, for their poetic (the former) and epic (the latter) characteristics to me. I also like Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicals and John Williams’ film scores.
THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS
If I had my way, the business school of the future would have much more of this …
Humor. The business world is goal-oriented, result-driven, and changing at an accelerating pace. It requires serious determination and a focused mindset, but I’d also love to see future business leaders being educated with an environment that values joy, humor, and ability to laugh together (as opposed to laugh at others) in wholesome ways. (I guess I have some homework to do.)
In my opinion, companies and organizations today need to do a better job at …
Living out their brand DNA. Brands should not be merely smiley masks to put on to manage perceptions to the external audiences. To build trust with the public and authentic relationship with customers, core brand DNA should be embraced and lived out in all aspects of business activities.
I’m grateful for …
My greatly rewarding career and for all my peers, mentors, and students I had the pleasure to work with along the journey. I am grateful for all the love and support I received from my family, especially my lovely wife, Eun.
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